W968 National Question

[Zezima]

So I had birthday recently and I was joking with my brother about buying this blade. We are both a big fan of ML and I also play with the LONG 5 commercial that I bought on sale for 170€ back on TT11.
Since he bought it on Prott.vip it took a while till it arrived. He glued my rubbers that I already play on the LONG 5 (both D09c 2,1mm) not gonna lie Prott.vip did a not so good job on cutting the rubbers to the blade (you can see that he did it with a scissor within a few seconds).
So how do I know this blade is original or fake? you cant see the numbers on the case because he has to hide it I guess? There is only W968 a date and a number in the handle nothing else. Is that it?
I will attach the pictures in a bit.
I am kind of excited to try this blade out and to see how it will differ from my long 5. I hope I dont get dissapointed because I know he payed a lot for this blade since it wasn´t even on sale.

Also do I get rid of these self adhesive protective sheets and use the normal ones that I am using for my Long5 aswell?

 

[Conehead]

First of all it can be assumed that prott.vip sells authentic W968 blades. So far so good.

I bought mine from him as well and I am sure it is authentic. However, mine came in a red box that has a white sticker on it that prevents opening the lid from the case. Based on your pics I can see you have got a black box. Do you have the sticker that prevents opening the lid AND do you also have sticker at the bottom of the box that gives more details such as as the weight etc.

Then Ma Long's sense picture seems to have changed looking at your example. My W968 shows a different one (with a signature).

The date and number on the side of your blade look authentic. Mine also is from 2024 0x and faked W968 show a different layout of the numbers (a bit thicker).

So I tend to say - assuming there have been changes in the ML lens design - your blade is authentic. Maybe PROTT put it into a different box. But I don't for sure if that really is the case as maybe DHS also changed the box layout.

Wait for some more folks to comment before you draw your conclusion.

 

[Zezima]

Also do I get rid of these

First of all it can be assumed that prott.vip sells authentic W968 blades. So far so good.

I bought mine from him as well and I am sure it is authentic. However, mine came in a red box that has a white sticker on it that prevents opening the lid from the case. Based on your pics I can see you have got a black box. Do you have the sticker that prevents opening the lid AND do you also have sticker at the bottom of the box that gives more details such as as the weight etc.

Then Ma Long's sense picture seems to have changed looking at your example. My W968 shows a different one (with a signature).

The date and number on the side of your blade look authentic. Mine also is from 2024 0x and faked W968 show a different layout of the numbers (a bit thicker).

So I tend to say - assuming there have been changes in the ML lens design - your blade is authentic. Maybe PROTT put it into a different box. But I don't for sure if that really is the case as maybe DHS also changed the box layout.

Wait for some more folks to comment before you draw your conclusion.

"

Do you have the sticker that prevents opening the lid

I don't know what you mean by that. The box can be opened same as my long 5. My long 5 came with a young ML picutre and it was red with a red card inside that gives more details about the blade. This one doesn´t have a card inside but as you can see in the last picture it shows the details there but he kind of removed some numbers. Probably its not the original case? Which is weird because I would expect the original case after paying so much money.

 

[Conehead]

Attached are pics of my box. Please check those. They demonstrate what I wanted to say in my first post.

 

[Conehead]

I don't know what you mean by that.

See my second photo.

This one doesn´t have a card inside

That is fine. W968 do not come with a card.

but as you can see in the last picture it shows the details there but he kind of removed some numbers.

That was the sticker I was asking about earlier ("bottom of box"). I have also such a sticker (see my third photo).

Probably its not the original case?

It looks okay (unless the sticker at the bottom got placed from the red to the black box). But again maybe DHS now is using a black box.

Which is weird because I would expect the original case after paying so much money.

Absolutely. But if the serial number (indicating the manufacturing date plus batch) on your blade matches with the number of the sticker of your box, you should be okay.

 

[Zezima]

See my second photo.


That is fine. W968 do not come with a card.


That was the sticker I was asking about earlier ("bottom of box"). I have also such a sticker (see my third photo).


It looks okay (unless the sticker at the bottom got placed from the red to the black box). But again maybe DHS now is using a black box.


Absolutely. But if the serial number (indicating the manufacturing date plus batch) on your blade matches with the number of the sticker of your box, you should be okay.

well as you can see I can´t see if it matches or not because he used a black pen.



Could it be that he sent me this:

PROTT

isntead of this:

PROTT

 

[Renol]

I believe the Conehead's red box is the W968 and Zezima's black box is the Golden W968 provided the serial number on the blade handle tally with the box.

I know that DHS changed the naming for W968 Provincial to HL5 from Year 2023 and the serial number is printed on the blade head. I am not sure about W968 National.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...al-team-w968-letters-not-on-the-handle.35674/

 

[Conehead]

Could it be that he sent me this:

PROTT isntead of this:

PROTT

Almost ...

Usually, the most common W969 National is this one:

PROTT

 

[Conehead]

and Zezima's black box is the Golden W968 provided the serial number on the blade handle tally with the box.

Yep - I think you're right.

 

[Zezima]

Almost ...

Usually, the most common W969 National is this one:

PROTT

Yes but my brother said he payed 720$ and not 400$

 

[dingyibvs]

well as you can see I can´t see if it matches or not because he used a black pen.



Could it be that he sent me this:

PROTT

isntead of this:

PROTT

The box is that of Golden Slam 968, but the actual blade it's impossible to know. Prott has legit DHS products, including W968s, but whether it's some sort of special players' version or XXX's personal blade it's impossible to know and just a matter of pure faith for us normies.

 

[Zezima]

I believe the Conehead's red box is the W968 and Zezima's black box is the Golden W968 provided the serial number on the blade handle tally with the box.

I know that DHS changed the naming for W968 Provincial to HL5 from Year 2023 and the serial number is printed on the blade head. I am not sure about W968 National.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...al-team-w968-letters-not-on-the-handle.35674/

which serial number the one on the box under the barcode?

 

[Tyce]

Tbh I think prott is mentioned more often nowadays for making a bit of a mess.

Don't know if they're crumbling under their own popularity or something, but it feels like they're dropping the ball lately.

 

[Zezima]

I am super confused myself. So there seems to be 3 versions on his site:

720$ version (the one my brother paid)

400$ version the one conehead posted here

and the grand slam version with the black box that I seemed to receive 470$ ?

 

[Migzkulit]

I am super confused myself. So there seems to be 3 versions on his site:

720$ version (the one my brother paid)

400$ version the one conehead posted here

and the grand slam version with the black box that I seemed to receive 470$ ?

The 720$ version is national player I assume. Which is not an official version and most of them are in the golden w968 mold.

 

[Conehead]

I am super confused myself. So there seems to be 3 versions on his site:

720$ version (the one my brother paid)

400$ version the one conehead posted here

and the grand slam version with the black box that I seemed to receive 470$ ?

I can explain now.

You got this, right?

PROTT

It is batch number 2. There is a misbelief in the table tennis community that the lower the batch number the better the quality and therefore the higher the price.

Sorry to say this but your brother should have bought the 400 USD one. So both the one I linked from PROTT just above and yours share the same batch number, namely 2.

Batch number 1 costs > 1000 USD.

So probably you have a Golden Slam with batch 2 OR you have a regular W968 with batch 2 but in the wrong box.

 

[Conehead]

OR you have a regular W968 with batch 2 but in the wrong box.

That COULD also explain why PROTT made the numbers on the sticker at the bottom of the box not readable for you.

 

[Wrighty67]

I believe the Conehead's red box is the W968 and Zezima's black box is the Golden W968 provided the serial number on the blade handle tally with the box.

I know that DHS changed the naming for W968 Provincial to HL5 from Year 2023 and the serial number is printed on the blade head. I am not sure about W968 National.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...al-team-w968-letters-not-on-the-handle.35674/

From '24 all W968 use the black box and new lens like the Golden. My player 968 is like that.

 

[Wrighty67]

I can explain now.

You got this, right?

PROTT

It is batch number 2. There is a misbelief in the table tennis community that the lower the batch number the better the quality and therefore the higher the price.

Sorry to say this but your brother should have bought the 400 USD one. So both the one I linked from PROTT just above and yours share the same batch number, namely 2.

Batch number 1 costs > 1000 USD.

So probably you have a Golden Slam with batch 2 OR you have a regular W968 with batch 2 but in the wrong box.

This is just supposition and likely not the case - the box changed for all 968 blades to the black one as did the ML image in the lens. The removed numbers on the box are usually due to the fact that it is in fact a player version. If it was a golden slam he would not have any reason to remove the label information would he..

 

[Conehead]

From '24 all W968 use the black box and new lens like the Golden.

Nope Mine is from 2024 and has the red box and the lens with ML's signature.